Exhaust-steam injector



May 6, 1930. .1. F. GRIFFIN ET 11u. 6 15757566 EXHAUST STEAM INJECTOR Filed s ept. 6, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet# l INVENTOR`D May 6, 1930. 1.l F, GRIFFIN ET AL i 1,757,566

EXHAUST STEAM INJECTOR I Filed-, sept". 6, 1929 z-sheets-snet. 2

PatentedMay 6, 1930 UNITED STATES 'P'A'l'nivi'll ori-ice Y JOSEPH E. GRIFFIN, or TEANECK, NEW JEBsEY,"ANDIAnrHUR WILLIAMS, or EnUsII- ING, NEW YORK, AssIGNoIi-s rro THE SUPERHEATERCQMPANY, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

EXHAUST-*STEAM INJEo'ron Application led SeptemberG, 1929. Serial No. 390,818.

Our invention relates to.v exhaust steam injectors of the type adapted to be ordinarily operated by exhaust steam from an engine andto bel operated Wholly by live steam from 5 a steam generator When such exhaust steam is not available. Y

Injectors of this character. nd their Widest use as applied to steam locomotives, Where the Vmajority of the factors affecting their operation are subjectto Wide variation.` -In` order to be most effective, theinjectors must provide a relatively Wide range of Water feeding Y nozzles in the :sameinjectorbody in orderto capacity and must be able to operate `over this range under Widely different conditions of suction Water temperature, vboiler steam pressure and exhaust steam pressure.

IVe have found that. both the efficiency and the operating range ofinjectors of this type may be materially increased if the pressure of the low pressure steam admitted to the injector, Whether it be exhaust steam from an engine or live steam from a'boiler, is closely regulated so that a substantially constant pressure is maintained at the entrance of the low pressurestealn nozzle. In .priorforms of exhaust steam injectors, the live steamused to supplant exhaust-.steam when the latter is not available (Which live steam Will hereinafter be referred to as auxiliary steam) has been obtained by passing high pressure steam from the boiler through Van orifice or choke which serves to reduce its pressure to substantially VVthat of the average exhaust steam pressure used. .This arrange- Vment, however, has several distinct limitations; In the first place, iuctuations .in boiler pressure, which are frequently of consider- "able magnitude, arerelected in the pressure ofthe auxiliary steam' after it has'passed through the choke. vIn the second place it is 1 common. practice to employ different sized obtain diffrent injector capacities, vand the arearof the, auxiliary steam chokemust be altered foreach specific size of nozzle ifthe desired auxiliary steam'pressure at thenozzle is to be obtained. `Infpractice this often leads to diiiiculties due to errors which. result infat-` tempting to use nozzle and choke sizes which are' notintendedfto befused together.

It is'the general purpose of the present invention to increase the injector efiiciency and range by automatically regulating the ex'- haust steam. and auxiliary steam supplies to the injector `to secure a substantially'uniform constant steam pressure under all' operating conditions at the lonT Ypressure Vnozzle of the injector. A further purposeof the invention is to :reduce thekpressurea of the auxiliary steamkin `a novelmanner Which .eliminates the necessityfor using chokes of different area With different sizes of nozzles; A stillfur-. ther purpose of the invention is to effectfregu.- lation vf both exhaust steam kand auxiliary live steam automatically through the medium of a single pressure regulating mechanism;

rl/Vith the above and other purposes in view,V the invention may best be understood by i'eference to the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferredy form of apparatus for carrying the invention into effect, in .which Fig. l is a fragmentary elevation of a locomotive having aninjectorv embodying vtheiin- .vention applied.` thereto, and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary central vertical section ron an enlarged scale of the part ofthe injectorlillustrating the principles of the invention.

Referring novv to FigLl, the injector Which is of Vthe general form disclosed-in our copending application Serial No. 390,817, filed -Y September 6th, 1929, is indicated generally at A`,'saidv injector beingsupplied with Water through the pipe land With live steam yfor operating'theinjector and its control system through pipe 2, Which leads from the engine turret 3 and has located therein a shut-off valve 4. Exhaust steam is supplied to the in.- j ector through pipe 5 leading fromzthe engine cylinders (not shown) and Water delivered by Athe injector passes throughpipe 6to the boiler check valve (not shovvn).V j

vA `mainlive'steam controlvalve B (Fig. 2) operated through the medium of thefcontrol lever 7 located in the engine cabfserves to admit live steam to the injectorand control rsystem and the'admission of auxiliary steam to the injector is controlled by theautematic valve'G (Fig- 2), the lattleriin turn being' underk the influence of an exhaust steamacf l tuated diaphragm valve indicatedjat-Dand v connected with valve C by` means of pipe 8. Exhaust steam for actuating valve D is supplied thereto through the pipe 9 leading from the engine exhaust pipe.

'Referring now more particularly to Fig. 2, the injector A comprises a main low pressure steam nozzle 10 supplied from the low pressure steam chamber 11 of the injector and a high pressure steamnozzle A12through which a small quantity of steam is admitted Vat high pressure (such steam being hereinafter referred to as supplementary steam) at all times when the injector is in operation'. The injector is further provided Vwith the usual water cone, and combiningand delivery tubes which form no part of the present invention and neednot be' described in detail herein. The main steam valve Bcomprises a pressure actu-'ated valve member 13 adapted Vto be opened by steam pressure against the action of the spring 14 uponthe release of pressure from' chamber 15 above tliepilot valve piston 16. Such release is vellected through a relay valve (not shown) which vents pipe 1.7 upon proper manipulation of the vcontrol lever 7. This mechanism is fully describedl in-our copend-inglapplication above referred to;V The specic form and manner oifV operation of valve B are notgermane to the present in Vvcntion and an desired "e uivalent valve maybe employed. Y.

High pressure live steamis admitted to the chamberl 18' upon the opening of the main steam valve and from this chamber passes directly to nozzle 12. Chamber 18 is place( incommuni'cation"with the conduit 19'- by means of' port 2O controlled by the automaticv Vvalve/C. Th-e latter 'comprises a valve niember 21 to which is attaehedpiston 22,-the latter having formedthereabove a chamber 23L adapted to be maintained underj pressure' by leakage throughrpassage124in piston 22 or to be vented thromgh pipe 8 bythe exhaust steam control valve D. W hen the engine is operating and exhaust steam is available pipe 8 is closed, which causes pressure to be' built up in chamber 23, balancing piston 22', and live steam pressure in chamber 18 operates to close valve 21, If exhaust steam is not available, pipe 8 is vented, and the unbalanced pressure on piston 22I operates to open valve21 and admit high' pressure live 'steam to conduit 19.

The specific` details of the valve mechanism D are also disclosed in ,our cri-pending application already referred to and need not be described in detail here. Y S 1 The admission of' exhaust steam iliary live steam to the low pressurerv steam -chamber 11 of the injector-,is controllediby an exhaustshut-oil1 valve El and a regulating valve F'. Valves E and F' may be advantageously carried in a separate housing interposed between thef-inj-ectorfbo'dy Vand the eX- haast pipe-5,- valve being -airanged between valve El andthe' injecter'.

and auX- Exhaust valve E comprises a single seated valve member 26 mounted on arm 27 which is pivoted about pin 28 so that the valve member 2 6 may swing open from its seat in the direction of lexhaust steam flow. A lever 29 is alsol pivoted on pin 28 independently of arm27, said lever having a boss 30 thereon adapted to engage the exhaust valve assembly to close the latter valve when the lever is urged to the 'right by piston 31,l the latter being under the influence "of a relatively heavy coil spring 32 suitably retained in housing 25. The lower end of lever 29 is engaged on the side opposite piston 31 by a second piston 33, the'latter being located in steamchamber 34 connectedby conduit'35 with the highrpressure steam chamber 18 of theinjector. -V 'v A. -v The operation voi' valve 26 is. largely obvious. Whenever the injector is shut oii',valve 26 is held to its seat by the'action of spring 32 to prevent exhaust steam from the engine vertically against seats' formed in a suitable web 38, said valve memb'erbeing guided at the bottom in a suitable-"cylinder 39 and at the top by anannular guide 40-formi1yrg part of the closurememberlll. The valve member 37 is urged to open position by the coil spring v 42, the upper end or' which bears against a 'transverse web 37 `formed in member 3T.

Member 41 is covered by a cap 43 forming a chamber 44 in which is locateda resilient di-aphragm member 45', preferably ofthe bellows type.` At its lower end bellows 45de secured to an annular plate 46 clamped between member 41 and'c'ap 43 and at itsupper end to a plate 47. Plate 471is rigidly secured tothe yupper end vof a regulating spindle'Y 48 sliding in theannular guide 40 and abutting at its lower end against the transverse web 37 of the' valve'm'e'mber 37.' The chamber lformed inside the bellows 45 is preferably vented by means of a passage`49f-wlrich allows leakage past the spindle 48 tof pass'- to the atmosphere.' The closedchamber 44 formed by the cap and the bellows assembly connected by means of the co'ndut'O-to' the outlet side of the-regulating valve 37.V l Y The operation of this valve isA as follows:

When the pressureY on the outlet side' o-fthis valve, which is substantially the pressure eX- isting chamber 11,. is at or` below the desired working pressure, valve 37- is held in .itsg wide open position byisp'ring 42. It,A however, the 'v pressure` onthe outlet sidey of the valve .tends to increase above the desired value,thr1s 1n- Y creasein pressure is transmit-ted through lcon'- duit 50 to chamber lawhereit acts to compress bellows 45 and move valve 37 toward closed position against the action of spring 42.k

Auxiliary'steam is carried through pipe-19 to the steam space 36 between the valves E and F, passing into `this space through a fixed orifice 51. y'The size of this orifice is such that when theboiler pressure falls-to thelowest value at which -injector operation vcan be maintained, the reduction in pressure of steam passing through the orifice rwill provide steam at leastabove atmospheric pressure in chamber 36. This meansV that under normal boiler pressureconditions, the pres-y sure of thesteam admitted through choke 51 to chamber 36 will be considerably `above that at whichit is desired to use itin the injector. Y j y l ,Under practical operating conditions, Vthe most desirablepressureto be maintained in chamber 11 willordinarily be somewhere between 6 and 1() pounds-gage pressure while the exhaust steam pressure encountered in actual practicewill vary from zero gage `pressure to 35 pounds. A choke 51 which willreduce the auxiliary steam pressure tothe proper pressure'for use in chamber l1-from a Very low boiler. pressure of say 10() pounds per square inchor less, will, under'a normal boiler pressureof say-240 lbs.,reduce.the pressure of the steam entering 'chamber 36 to about 35 poundsper square inch, which isi approximately the same as the maximum exhaust steam pressure*encountered in practice.:

It will therefore be seen that the pressure regul atingV valve F1 will-,with this arrangement have to handle a maximum steam pressure of about the same value whether `the steam is ex-v haust or auxiliary, and therefore asingle pressure reducing arrangement will serve to regulate both exhaust steam and auxiliary steamV pressures. 1 t y diment illustrated,'the regulat- In the embo ing valve` is controlled by the pressure on the outlet side thereof, but it will ,be `obvious that.v

t a regulating valve actuatedV in accordance- Ilse with Variations in the inlet pressure may be employed, and it will. further be. evident that.- valves E and F may, if desired, be combined located between the shut-.oft portion of such( valveand the regulating portion, thereof..

1 The form shown, however, is to'be preferred,

particularly with respectto controlling the regulating. valve from the discharge side, as

etica @exhaust Pressure.-

Uponfopening of the main valve Bby manipvulationr of the control lever. 7, steam passes simultaneouslyV .tothe vsupplementary nozzle 12` and to chamber 34 to free the exhaust valve .member 26'. 'If'the lengine is running at this u time and exhaust steam is available, ventlpipe 8 leading` from the"y automatic valveCis closed by the exhauststeam controlvalve mechanism D, with the result .that the valve member 21 remains closed. Exhaust steam from supply.y 7

"Upmnclosure of the engine throttle,'rthe;l

failurefcf theexhaust steam supply causes thevalve mechanism D to open vent pipe 8 and permitvalve 21toibe opened by` steam pressure inchamber 18. High pressure steam then `flows through conduit, 19 andthe choke:` v

v 51 to chamber..36.'V Assuming normal boiler pressure to exist, the pressure inchamber 36 .willbein the neighborhood of 35'poundsper square inch, which pressure kwill close the exhaust. valve member26, and the 'pressure'.A of the steam vsuppliedl from this chamber to chamber 11of the injector will be suitably reduced to theconstantpressure 'desired by passing through the regulating valveF; Y

It will thus be seenv that with the above' de-rr scribed arrangen'ient.r a substantially constant pressure'is maintained in the low pressure steam chamber 11 at k.all times regardless of fluctuations in either exhaust steam 'pressure or in. boiler Iiuessure.V f f .s l NVQ Clalm`t"-f. i

1. Int-he operation of an injector,r having. a high andlow pressureelement, supplying V.steam atvlowpressure to the low pressure element of the *injector from the yexhaust of af steam engin-e when Vit is workingand from a steam generator when the engine-is not wor ingand regulatingautomatically the pressure ofr the steam supplied to the lowpressure Velement -offthe injector from eithery the steam generator or exhaustto obtain asubstantially constant pressure within thelow pressure elementirrespective' of the higher pressure obtaining in the steam generator or of variation injexhaust pressure. e f

, Infthefoperation of aninjector having e p ,a high and lou7V pressure element, supplyin a single structure with the ,chokeV orlii'ce 5L n in g steam at low .pressure to the low pressure element y,ofthe"injector from the exhaust of -a steam engine when' it is working andi:vr from a steam ,generator` when the engine fis not workingl and-regulating under the influence of exhaust pressure the pressure-ofthe steaml supplied to the low,v pressure elementV of -thefinjector from either the steamY genera-J v torl o r exhaust to obtainv ata-substantially conetant pressure withinthe low pressure elevment irrespectiveV of the higher'pressure obtaining-in, thesteam generator and off variao'steam at high pressure',V supplying steam at low pressure to the low pressure element of the injector from thev exhaust of 2a steam engine when it is working and from a steam generator when the engineisnot working and regulating the pressureol' the steam supplied to the 'low pressure element of the-injector from either thest-eam generatoror exhaust to obtain a substantially constant-,pressure Within the low pressure element independently of the control ofY the supply of steam at high pressure and irrespective of ther` higher pressure obtaining in the steam generatorior of variation in exhaust pressure.

4. In the operation of van injector having a high and low pressureelement, supplying steam at low pressure to the low pressure element of the injectorfrom the exhaust of a Asteam engine while it is working and from a steam generator, when the engine is not work- 1ng and so regulating the flow of steam to the low pressure element from either the generator or exhaust with relation to the pressure obtaining -1n the generator or to exhaust steam available as to maintain a continuous supply ofsteam to the low `pressure element at a substantially constant'pressure irrespective of the higher pressure obtaining in the generator or of variation of exhaust pressure.

5. The method of supplying low pressurev live steam from a high pressure steam Vgenerator to an exhaust steam injector having means for utilizing exhauststeamand low pressure live steam in alternation, which consists in first reducingthe pressure of the high 'press-ure steam. from the generator Vto an intermediate pressure Vmaterially lower than the pressure in the generator by passing said steam through fixed orifice andV subsequently further' reducing and regulating' the pressure of said steam to maintain a substantially constant pressure atsa-id means.

` 6. An exhaust' steam injector comprising a low pressure steam chamber, means for admitting exhaust steam and auxiliary live steam to said chamber' threug'ha common inlet,v a regt-dating. valve for admitting steam threugh said inlet at substantially constant pressure, means forY admitting exhaust steam V"1t-o said regulating valvewhen exhaust steam is available, and means for admitting auxiltary. live steam fo sfaidkregulating valve at a jpressiire abeve the regulated pressure when f exhaust steam is not available. f

7; YAni exhaust steam injecter comprising' a chamber to which low' priessi'ir'esteam is admitted', a conduit for Vsupplying exhaust steam to said chairmen-,an exhaust steamshut'bf 'valve-'in said conduit, a regulating -f-v'aivein said ceri-duit Between. the shut-eff valve and the injecter'- fl delivering steam to the injector at substantially constant presj chamber to which low pressure Vsteam is ad- Y mitted, a conduit `for supplying exhaust steam to said chamber, an exhaust steamshut-off valve in said conduit, a'regulating valve'in saidv conduit between the shut-oli' valve-and theinjector for delivering steam t the injector at substantially constant/'pressure, means between the valves for supplying live steam from a high pressure source to said conduit, and means for partially reducing the pressure of said livestea'm before it reaches said conduit.

9. An exhaust steam injector'comprising a'lovv pressure steam chamber, a conduit for supplying exhaust steam thereto, a shut-oli valve in said conduit, a pressure regulating valve in l'said conduit between' the shut-off valveand the injector, said regulating valve Y Y supplying'low pressure steamthereto', ai pressure regulating Vvalve located in said conduit and adapted to regulate the pressure of steam passingV therethrough to maintain a substantially''constant pressure in said chamber,a valve controlled pipe for supplying lexhaust steam from an engine to. said conduit on the inlet side of said regulating valve, a connection'for admitting auxiliary live steam from a steam generator to'said conduit on the inlet side ofthe regulatingl valve, and means forming'a choke in said connection for reducing the Vpressure of the steam passing therethrough.V when the generator isol'aerating at normal pressure to avalue within the pressurerange at `which exhaustv steam is normally supplied romthe engine.

1l. An exhaust steam injector comprising a low'pressure steam chamber,y a conduit for supplying low pressure steam to said chamber, a regulating valve located in said con- -duit and-adapted to regulate the pressure of l ysteam supplied thereto to malntain a sub- 

